West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-09-09
HOW SUMNER WAS STRICKEN.
A Pen-Prcture of Scene that Startled
and Angered the Nation.

and Angered the Nation.
John Hay and John Nicolay, in June
Century.
On the 22d of May, two days af-
ter the speech Tin which Charles
Sumner had excoriated Senator But
ler, uncle of Representative Preston
S. Brooks) Brooks entered the Sen
ate Chamber. The seats were ar
ranged in semicircles, with railing
to separate them from a narrow lob.
by or open space next the wall; a
broad aisle ran from the main door
to the desk of the presiding officer.
Mr.. Summers seat was in the outside
row next to the railing, at the sec
ond desk to the right from the en-
trance and the main aisle. Occupied
with his work, Mr.. Sumner did not
notice Mr.. Brooks sitting across the
aisle to his left, and where in conyer-
sation with a friend he was manifest
ing his impatience that lady seat
ed near Mr.. Sumner did not take her
departure from the chamber. AL
most at that moment she prOpably
arose and went out, for quickly af-
terward Brooks got up and advanced
to the front of Summers desk. The
fact attracted the attention ofBrooks'
friend; he was astonished, amid the
bitterness of party feeling, to see
South Carolina Representative talk
to Massachusetts, Senator. His as
tonishment was quickly corrected.
Leaning upon the desk and address
ing Sumner with rapid sentence or
two, to the effect that he had read
his speech, that it was libel upon
his absent relative, and that he had
come to punish him for it, Brooks
began striking him on the head with
a guttapercha walking-cane of the
ordinary length and about an inch
in diameter.
Surprised, blinded and stunned by
the blows, Summers first instinct
was to grapple with his assailant.
This effort, however, was futile; the
desk was between them, and, being
by his sitting posture partially un-
der it, Sumner was prevented from
rising fully to his feet until he had
by main strength, in his struggles,
wrenched it from its fastenings on
the floor. In his attempt to follow
Brooks they became turned and from
between the desks moved out into
the main aisle BY this time, through
the repetition of the heavy blows and
loss of blood, Sumner became un-
concious. Brooks, seizing him by
the coat-collar, continued to strike
with his cane till Sumner, reeling
in utter helplessness, sank upon the
floor beside the desk nearest the
aisle, one row nearer the centre of
the chamber than his own. The wit
nesses varously estimated the num-
Der of blows given at from ten to
thirty. Two principal wounds, two
inches long by an inch deep, had
been cut on the back Of Sumner s
head. and near the end of the at
tack Brooks cane was shivered to
splinters.
There were perhaps ten or fifteen
persons in the chamber, and after
the first momentary pause OF aston
ishment half Il dozen started to in
terfere. Before they reached the
spot, however, Mr.. Keitt, another
South Carolina member of Congress,
came rushing down the main aisle,
brandishing his cane, and with i'm
precautions warning lockers or to
''let hIm alone" Among those has
tening to the rescue Mr. Morgan arr
rived first, just in time to catch and
sustain the Senator os he fell. An
other bystander who had run around
outside the railing, siezed Brooks
by the arm about the same instant,
and the wounded man was borne to
an adjoining room, where he was
cared for by. a hastily summoned
nhycicion